Ag Notebook for Feb. 10

Related Media

Investing in food supply ... A water developer who is planning to build reservoirs along the Arkansas River in Pueblo County says his plan is to cash in on the worldwide need for food.

“I can’t attract investors with water,” said John McKowen, CEO of Two Rivers Water Co. “They are investing in food supply.”

McKowen talks about growing vegetables instead of corn and hay as a way to increase farm revenues, but admits he is not a farmer.

McKowen already has raised about $44 million in the last five years since organizing a company to acquire farmland and reservoirs in Huerfano and Pueblo counties. He has restored farmland under the Huerfano-Cucharas Ditch and under Orlando Reservoir.

He bought a farm on the Bessemer Ditch and is looking for more opportunities.

If all McKowen’s plans come together, he could create more than 100,000 acre-feet of storage space, which could be used for multiple purposes. He eventually plans to fallow some ground in order to sell some of the water as another source of revenue.

Two Rivers was able to raise crops profitably during last year’s drought.

But some in the water community have expressed doubts because he is paying more for water than farmers should be able to pay.

— The Pueblo Chieftain

Solar development absorbing Calif. farmland ... There’s a land rush of sorts going on across the nation’s most productive farming region, but these buyers don’t want to grow crops.

They want to plant solar farms.

With California mandating that 33 percent of electricity be generated from renewables by the end of the decade, there are 227 proposed solar projects in the pipeline statewide.

Coupled with wind and other renewables, they would generate enough electricity to meet 100 percent of California’s power needs on an average summer day, the California Independent System Operator says.

And new applications for projects keep arriving.

Developers are flocking to flat farmland near power transmission lines, but agriculture interests, environmental groups and even the state are concerned that there is no official accounting of how much of this important agricultural region’s farmland is being taken out of production.

Much of the solar development is proposed for Kern, Tulare, Fresno and Kings counties, which are home to more than 400 crops that pump $30 billion into the economy and help sustain U.S. food security.

— The Associated Press

House rejects study of N.M. horse slaughter plant ... New Mexico lawmakers have rejected a proposal to study the feasibility of allowing plants to slaughter horses for food.

The measure sparked a lengthy debate Monday in the House, which voted 36-28 against the measure to have a study by the state Department of Agriculture.

A Roswell meat company has proposed resuming horse slaughtering and sued the federal government last year over inaction on its application.

Supporters said a slaughter plant would provide a humane way for dealing with unwanted horses and those left to starve by owners who can’t afford to feed them. They said the horses could be processed to provide meat for human consumption in overseas markets.

Opponents said a better approach is to support private programs that care for unwanted or mistreated horses.

— The Associated Press

CU-Boulder study: Plants can be altruistic, too ... You’ll never think of your popcorn the same way: In its previous life, it could have come from an altruistic ear of corn with strong family bonds.

A new University of Colorado-led study suggests plants have the capability to be altruistic. In animals, scientists have long recognized the trait — dogs caring for orphaned kittens, dolphins helping nudge their injured mates to the surface, etc.

For the newly published study, CU researchers studied corn, in which each fertilized seed contained two “siblings” — an embryo and a corresponding bit of tissue known as endosperm that feeds the embryo as the seed grows. They compared the growth and behavior of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same “mother” and “father” plants with those that had genetically different parents.

The results showed embryos with the same mother and father as the endosperm in their seed weighed significantly more than those with the same mother but a different father, said Pamela Diggle, a CU professor.

That means the endosperm can recognize its “half siblings” and is less likely to pass on as much food, thus acting less cooperatively.

The agreement with Mexico’s tomato industry would suspend an investigation initiated after Florida tomato growers complained Mexican producers were selling fresh tomatoes for less than the production cost.

The proposal would replace a pact that’s been in place for 16 years. The Commerce Department on Saturday released a draft of the agreement for public comment.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says it would allow the U.S. tomato industry “to compete on a level playing field.”